Wednesday, February 25. 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 7
Candidates to learn the rules
By Melissa Nao
mngo@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Mandatory candidate workshops begin today in the Kansas Union, kicking off the countdown to Student Senate elections.
All candidates must go to one of the three workshops. The first workshop will be held today and the next two are in March.
"At the workshops, we explain the elections code and ask the candidates to talk about their vision for elections and how they perceive the elections could be." said Brad Finkeldel, Elections Commission chairman. "We do that so the commission and the candidates can all be on the same page about what elections should look like and we can understand what to expect from each."
Candidates must sign up at the Office of Student Life, 133 Strong Hall, by noon the day of the workshops, said Audrey Nogle, Elections Commissioner.
Candidates receive packets which
Finkeldei said the workshops were important to the elections process.
"We want to be sure that every candidate has the possibility of having the code explained and to ask any questions," Finkeldei said. "Then we'll have a better chance of compliance. We need to get the information out to the candidates in order to have a fair and impartial election."
Matt Dunbar, off campus senator,
attended a workshop last year.
"I think that they were very informative," he said. "It's a good option to be able to ask questions of the commission and of experienced senators. It's also good that the rules are laid out so that people know
what's allowed and what's not."
Dunbar said that although candidates were aware of the rules, they did not always follow them.
The elections commission has punished violators in the past.
"Sometimes the information doesn't stick," Dunbar said. "Sometimes the excitement of campaigning takes over and the rules get thrown out the window."
Scott Sullivan, student body president, and Mike Walden, student body vice president, had to write a handbook as part of their sanctions for exceeding coalition budget. Nogle said.
"The handbook includes examples of campaign materials and the basics of campaigning." Noelle said.
The handbook is available at the Office of Student Life.
The first workshop is 5 p.m today at the Jayhawk Room in the Kansas Union. The second will be 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Frontier Room in the Burge Union. The third will be 7 p.m. Tuesday March 31 at the Jayhawk Room in the Kansas Union.
Committee helps elections run smoothly
By Melissa Nao
By Melissa Ngo
mgc@kansai.net
mngo@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The Elections Commission administrates and oversees Student Senate elections. Its members can invalidate election results, which could affect the entire student body.
The commission trains and oversees poll workers and collects and validates ballots. Commission members are recommended by the Student Executive Committee Chairperson and are approved by Student Senate each fall.
"We're supposed to regulate and administer the Student Senate elections in a fair and impartial manner," said Brad Finkeldei, commission chairman and second year law student. "We monitor compliance with the elections code, help candidates understand the code and serve on the Hearings Board."
The Hearings Board reviews complaints about campaign and elections problems. If the board determines that elections codes have been violated, it can assess penalties such as fines.
The chairperson of the Elections
Commission, who can vote only in a tie, is elected by the commission members at the first meeting.
The commission then hires the elections commissioner, who is the only paid member of the commission. This year's commissioner, Audrey Nogle, is paid $7 per hour and works 18 to 20 hours per week. She is paid from the commission budget allocated by Student Senate.
Nogle is a non-voting member. She advises the commission on procedure, prepares the elections budget, administers candidate workshops, enforces commission policies and investigates campaign violations.
Mary Myers, commission member and assistant director of the Student Development Center, said the commission served an important purpose.
"It's important to have an unbiased body that can govern so that the elections can be a fair process for anyone involved," Myers said. "We also want it (the elections process) to be a learning process for the students."
ELECTION COMMISSION MEMBERS
Nogle said that the first Elections Commission operated during the 1990-91 school year. Before 1990, the elections were run by a committee out of volunteers' houses or apartments.
Susan Buehler, Graduate representative
Sarah Deer, Law School representative
Brad Finkeldei, Chairman (Law School representative)
Rich Helfrich, Undergraduate representative
Michael Kauffman, Undergraduate representative
Ryan Laughan, Undergraduate representative
Jennifer Kinney, Division of Student Affairs representative
Mary Myers, Division of Student Affairs representative
Audrey Nogle, Elections Commissioner
ELECTION TIMELINE
First candidate workshop MARCH 2
The commission is made of three undergraduate students, one graduate, two law students, two representatives from the division of student affairs, a faculty member from the department of political science and the Elections Commissioner.
Finkeldei said that the political science seat had been vacant for the last few years.
she said.
■ Second candidate workshop MARCH 4
Declaration of candidacy forms available
TOMORROW, FEB. 25
Presidential/vice-presidential filing deadline (5 pm)
MARCH 11
Coalition and Independent filing deadline (5 pm)
Coalition charter filing deadline (5 pm)
Coalition and Independent campaign budgets due
Initial campaign activity and expense report due for coalitions and independent candidates
Third candidate workshop APRIL 1
MARCH 31
Deadline for resignation from a coalition (5 pm)
Deadline for filing as an independent after resignation from a coalition (5 pm)
List of ballot sorters published APRIL2
Deadline for verifying ballots APRIL8
Ballot available for public inspection
inspection
APRIL 6
Ballots printed
Candidate badges available Campaign budgets published
Campaign budgets published in the University Daily Kansan
Second activity and expense report due
report due
APRIL 10
■ Write in filing deadline (5 pm)
APRIL 15
Elections
APRIL 18 Election
Final activity report due
Final expense statement due
Write in detail if needed.
Final expense statement due
Write-in candidate final expenditure
WHERE in candidate that exper-
diture statement due (5 pm)
APRIL 20
APRIL 20
Deadline for contesting elections results
Deadline for complaints APRIL 21
Elections can be certified
Finkeldei said that the frequency of the meetings varied with the amount of work. This semester, the commission has met every two weeks but will meet weekly when elections begin. The commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. today at the Governor's Room in the Kansas Union.
March is Women's History Month International Women's Day, March 8, 1998
Women of the World Sharing With Each Other
In honor of International Women's Day, the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center and Services invite you to a special reception to recognize international Women students at the University of Kentucky.
Place: Malott Room, Kansas Union
Date: Sunday, March 8, 1998
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
The Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center
Hallway 1082 For more information, contact Jennifer Joseph at 804-3583.
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